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Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton
LLP – Partner
(January 2004 – Present)
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Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich
(1981-2003)
Associate (1981-1987); Partner (1988-2003)
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University of Kansas Law School,
J.D., 1981, Order of the Coif (top 10% of class)
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Fort Hays State University, B.S., 1978,
summa cum laude
- All
California state
courts
- All
United States
District Courts in California
- The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
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J. Rod Betts
Partner
619.243.1560 |
rbetts@paulplevin.com |
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Union matters
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Rod Betts has successfully represented California
employers on labor and employment law matters for
over 30 years. He started his career at Gray Cary
(now DLA Piper) and became a partner at that firm,
and was Chair of the Employment and Labor group at
Gray Cary for several years. In 2004, Rod joined his
former partners from Gray Cary—Rich Paul, Fred
Plevin and Mike Sullivan—who had left Gray Cary in
1998 to found the Paul, Plevin firm.
Mr. Betts is one of the most experienced management
side labor lawyers in Southern California, having
represented a wide variety of public and private
sector clients on union matters, including San Diego
Transit Corporation, San Diego Trolley, Inc., the
Zoological Society of San Diego, the City of San
Diego, the City of Chula Vista, the City of
Escondido, San Diego County Regional Airport
Authority, and Bimbo Bakeries USA. Rod has handled
well over 100 labor arbitrations on behalf of
management, including discharge and contract
interpretation cases.
Mr. Betts is also a very successful trial lawyer,
having tried dozens of cases before juries, judges
and administrative law judges. His trials have
involved claims of wrongful termination, employment
discrimination and wage and hour violations. Rod’s
employment law clients include United Airlines,
General Dynamics/NASSCO, Republic Services, Inc.,
Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research
Foundation, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.
Rod utilizes his years of experience in representing
employers in labor and employment law matters to
provide practical advice to clients on difficult
issues including union matters, employment
terminations, layoffs, wage and hour matters, and
investigations of employee misconduct.
Mr. Betts has been selected by his peers for
inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and
has been named one of California's top Labor and
Employment law attorneys by Super Lawyers
magazine. Mr. Betts has been recognized in the
Los Angeles Times as one of Southern
California’s Best Lawyers, and has been recognized
by the San Diego Daily Transcript and San
Diego Magazine as one of the “Best Lawyers in
San Diego.” Rod has received Martindale Hubbell’s
highest rating (“AV”) for legal ability and ethical
standards, based on the confidential opinions of
members of the bar and the judiciary. Mr. Betts is a
Senior Governor on the University of Kansas Law
School Board of Governors.
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Represented the City of Chula Vista
in wage concession negotiations due to a budget
deficit with the Chula Vista Police Officers
Association, the International Association of Fire
Fighters Local 2180, the Chula Vista Employees
Association/SEIU and the Western Council of Engineers.
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Represented the San Diego County
Regional Airport Authority in its labor negotiations
with Teamsters Local 911
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Represented the City of San Diego in
its labor negotiations with the Police Officers
Association, San Diego Fire Fighters Local 145 and the
Deputy City Attorney Association
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Represented the City of San Diego in
the meet and confer process with the City’s five labor
unions regarding the Mayor’s ballot proposals and
implementation ordinances on retirement benefit
increases for City workers, and managed competition
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Represented PKL Services, Inc., a civilian contractor
providing maintenance on the FA-18 aircraft at Marine
Corps Air Station, Miramar, in negotiating a
collective bargaining agreement with the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
- For over 20 years, has handled union
related matters for San Diego Transit Corporation and
San Diego Trolley, Inc., including labor arbitrations,
collective bargaining, and a variety of disputes over
employment terms and conditions
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Prevailed in $30 million pension
dispute against labor organization through retirement
plan arbitration, district court proceedings, and
proceedings before Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
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Prevailed in trial before National Labor Relations
Board in which General Counsel asserted numerous
unfair labor practices arising from union organizing
campaign
- Currently suing Carpenters Union Local 1506 for
trespass and picketing on private property of
hospitals
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Currently handling wage and hour class action
involving claim that technical support employees were
not paid for time spent on-call
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Handled meal and rest period class
action involving over 3000 class members
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Handled wage and hour
class action involving exempt status of account
executives, meal and rest periods and expense
reimbursement issues
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Obtained defense verdict before the California Labor
Commissioner in 45 plaintiff wage and hour case in
which plaintiffs alleged entitlement to overtime for
monitoring their radios during meal and rest periods.
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Obtained meal and rest period
exemption for client in settlement with State of
California, after bringing suit against the State
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Obtained summary judgment in San
Diego Superior Court in wage and hour case involving
engineer of technology company who claimed to be
nonexempt and eligible for overtime pay
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Obtained summary judgment in San
Diego Superior Court in wrongful termination case
brought by Risk Manager of corporation who claimed to
be a whistleblower
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Obtained defense verdict in San Diego
Superior Court jury trial brought by airline employee
claiming she was fired due to whistle blowing about
airport security violations, and due to her sex, age
and in retaliation for filing discrimination claims.
Also obtained $30,000 judgment on cross-complaint due
to plaintiff’s illegal tape recording of company
managers
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Obtained defense verdict in San Diego
Superior Court jury trial in case in which plaintiff
alleged wrongful termination and fraudulent inducement
of employment
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Obtained defense verdict in Colorado
federal court jury trial on behalf of radio station in
case in which on-air personality alleged breach of
employment contract and violation of Colorado Wage Act
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Obtained defense verdict in San Diego
Superior Court jury trial in case in which plaintiff
alleged he had been terminated in violation of public
policy for “blowing the whistle” on manufacturing
company
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Obtained defense verdict in San Diego
Superior Court jury trial in case in which 15-year
employee of company alleged employment discrimination
and wrongful termination
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Obtained defense verdict in binding
arbitration of Santa Clara Superior Court case in
which plaintiff alleged wrongful termination in
violation of public policy (termination to divest her
of large commissions due)
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